News

Now is the time to learn how to write a letter to the editor (LTE)! You can begin with this guide to writing letters, or contact Megan@carbonwa.org for help. Once a month, Citizen’s Climate Lobby hosts letter writing workshops in Seattle, which can be tailored into LTEs. To start, list 3 – 5 things that will be impacted in your community. Even though there are global impacts, it is easier to convince others to act when they can understand how things will affect them. Also, it is easier to convince policymakers to act when you present clear solutions. Listen to the recent NPR interview on how to have productive conversations about climate change. “Viable solutions are what people can often agree on first,” according to Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and communications expert.For some talking points on the consequences of inaction, visit the King County impacts assessment, the UW Climate Impact Group, or the state Department of Ecology. The impacts include decreasing snowpacks, declining salmon, increased risk of forest fires, flooding, acidification, pest infestations, and heat waves.

For insights on solutions, the Washington State Wire recently interviewed our executive director, Kyle Murphy. He was asked what policy would appeal to all political players. Kyle responded, “I would urge everyone to worry less about the other players, and worry more about the world we are leaving for our kids in 20 years.”

The Stranger also featured an op-ed from representatives of the Quinault Indian Nation, who say “if the Legislature cannot agree on a robust carbon tax that provides billions of dollars in new environmental funding, then the Legislature should leave the creation of a climate change policy to the people of Washington via an initiative.” The goal is to get published in one paper this week, so try to submit to three newspapers. If you get a letter published, let us know and we’ll give you a shout out! Most of all, write about what matters to you. We need to convince others to act, so make it clear why you are writing and how they can help.

A clear action item is to call on your legislators to pass a carbon tax this session. You can join CarbonWA and other members of ACT Now (Advocates for a Carbon Tax Now!) for a phone-banking lobby day in June (more details to follow). To invite others, share this RSVP form or ask them to email megan@carbonwa.org